Not Yet the End
by mysticmelodies1
Summary: The continuation of the Evelyn and Douglas story, but with an Indian twist (Follow up to "A New Beginning")


"Good morning," he said softly. He moved closer to kiss her and she smiled.

"Good morning."

There was a comfortable pause as they caressed each other's faces, smiling all the while.

"I dreamt about our wedding again last night."

"What- did you have a nightmare about the dust war?" he joked, and she laughed, lightly slapping him on the arm.

"No. It was lovely. It played out in front of me like one of those old-timey feel-good films. You know; the ones with the happy endings that make you cry. When I woke up, I had to look over at you to make sure it wasn't all just a dream."

Douglas, grinning, leaned over and gave her a long and tender kiss.

"Does that seem like a dream to you?"

"No," she replied dreamily- she loved it when he kissed her. She couldn't believe he still had this effect on her. She was always waiting for herself to grow used to it. To become nonchalant about the whole thing. But it never happened. She never came down from the high. She was just as happy now as she was on her wedding day.

"Do you realize it's been nearly a year?"

"Yes- we're sixteen days away. Feels like only yesterday though."

Evelyn looked at him in surprise. Her late husband had never made the effort to remember how far away they were from their anniversary. Though to his credit, he usually remembered the actual day, even if the children did have to remind him about a week or so in advance.

"How do you know that?"

"Because…" he looked down at his hands. "I've been counting the days since we were married."

She turned her head to look at him.

"Why?" Evelyn asked, genuinely touched at his confession.

"It sort of became a habit. During the divorce, I used to count the days till it would all be over. Then after I proposed, I counted the days 'til the wedding. The number of days until we would officially be joined together. And now that we are… I guess I just never stopped counting. It's silly, I know." He looked shyly down at the sheet for a moment, and Evelyn turned over to face him completely and lifted his to face hers, kissing him.

"That must be the romantic thing I have ever heard. And it's not silly at all. I think it's very sweet of you to do that." She kissed him again and he pulled away smiling.

They spent a few more moments holding each other and reminiscing about the past year and how it had flown by. Eventually, they got up and got dressed; remembering that they'd promised to meet their friends in the café for lunch. Evelyn looked over at the clock and noted with some dismay that they'd slept in until almost eleven.

They both got up and started searching for something to wear. Douglas was just going in to shower when they hear the buzzer to their door.

"Darling would you?" he asked.

She nodded and walked over, as she was closer anyway. She opened the door to find Sonny standing on the other side with a bouquet of lovely red roses. They looked fresh, as though they'd just been picked. He smiled, presenting them to her with his usual flair.

"Beautiful flowers for a beautiful lady," he bowed and placed the flowers gently in her hands.

"Thank you, Sonny." Evelyn smiled.

He bowed his head again and turned to leave. Evelyn shut the door behind him and held the flowers to her nose, closing her eyes as she inhaled their sweet fragrance

"They're beautiful, Douglas." She smiled at him.

"I… I didn't…" he said, looking at the bouquet in his wife's hands.

Evelyn's eyes got as wide as saucers. "Well if you didn't… who did?"

He shrugged. "They are red… maybe they're an early present from Mrs. Kapoor?"

"Wait. There's a note."

Evelyn took the note and turned it over before reading aloud:

"Dearest Evelyn,

I lied. They're from me.

Douglas."

She looked over at him and he was stood in the doorway, grinning from ear to ear. He tried not to chuckle but he couldn't help himself.

"You filthy rotten liar," Evelyn laughed. "It's a good thing I love you."

"A very good thing," he smiled.

He walked over and kissed her and she gave him a lighthearted smack on the arm as he turned again to go get ready for the day. She found an empty vase to put the flowers in and put them on the living room table, as it was central to the room and would allow her to see them from just about anywhere in their suite, provided the doors were open, of course.

Douglas almost always showered first, as Evelyn liked to have that time to decide what to wear. She wasn't neurotic about her wardrobe. She didn't spend hours in front of the mirror like some women, but she did like to look nice when she went out with him. She needn't have worried though. Douglas was always so encouraging, telling her she looked wonderful in whatever she had on. He never failed to make her feel special, even after almost a year. She still got butterflies when he walked into a room. And he always told her how she had the same effect on him.

She smiled to herself as she pulled a periwinkle shirt from the closet. She decided she'd wear that and her cream colored trousers. Douglas loved her any shade of blue as he said it made her eyes sparkle even more brilliantly. She didn't know if was true or not, but she loved the way he looked at her when she wore it. She nodded. Yes. This one would do.

Douglas stood in front of the mirror, examining his slate gray shirt. He remembered how Evelyn liked the color on him. She said it made him look very smart. Very sophisticated. He didn't know about all that, but he liked the way she looked at him when he wore it. He straightened his collar one last time. Yes. This one would do nicely.

After they got dressed, they headed to the café to find Muriel just sitting down the table. Madge and Norman looked as though they'd been there for quite some time. Everyone had a light breakfast as usual and of course everyone wanted to know what Douglas and Evelyn were planning to do for their anniversary. They both looked at each other.

"We hadn't really thought of anything," Evelyn said. "We were just planning to spend it here. Together."

"Well you've got to do something. It's your very first year!" Madge said

Douglas shrugged "Well… I did get her a little something."

Evelyn looked over at him. "I thought I told you that you didn't have to."

"I know, but I wanted to."

She smiled and kissed him. "So when do I get this mysterious present?"

"Later," he grinned. She pouted and he chuckled. "Patience is a virtue."

"Fine. But it had better be worth it," she smirked.

They got through the rest of breakfast with Evelyn dropping not so subtle hints for Douglas to tell her what his surprise was, but he wouldn't give in.

The next two weeks had flown by and Douglas kept surprising Evelyn with little gifts, but he assured her that none of them were the big surprise he had planned for her. He'd gotten her all sorts of jewelry and shoes and a new dress that she'd not-so-secretly had her eyes on. She wondered what else he could possibly have in store for her.

The morning of, Evelyn had spent a few moments alone with Douglas, reminiscing about everything that had happened over the past year and whispering to each other how glad they both were to have found each other at last. Evelyn eventually had to go as she had promised a friend she'd help with a little project she was working on. Douglas reluctantly let her go and after a few more stolen kisses, Evelyn was finally able to make her way into the bathroom to shower and get changed for the day.

She stole one more kiss from Douglas and tucked him back into bed to get some more rest. She gathered her purse and her keys, not knowing if he'd still be in their suite when she got back, and set off for the lobby, blowing one last kiss at her husband before she closed the door.

She walked downstairs with her hands shaking a bit as she went to sit in the café and wait for her friend. She'd never kept anything from Douglas before and she felt horrible about lying to him but if she didn't it would have ruined everything. She comforted herself a little by reminding herself that it wasn't a total lie. She was, in fact, meeting a friend. It just wasn't for the reasons she'd told him.

Evelyn felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Madge smiling down at her.

"Ready?" Madge asked. Evelyn nodded and followed her out the door, carefully avoiding the children who'd already begun throwing little bags of colored dust over each other in celebration of Holi.

They got a ride into town in a small auto rickshaw and passed a number of shops, brightly decorated in preparation for the festival. Evelyn was told that they would be going somewhere a little different that day and she idly wondered where Madge could be taking her. They went into a shop that Madge had pointed out to Evelyn once before, but Evelyn had never actually gone inside.

When they stepped in, Evelyn quickly labeled the shop as a sort of Indian version of Anne Summers. Evelyn gawped at Madge, who stood with a smirk on her face.

Evelyn gasped and pulled Madge by her elbow behind a rather tall rack of clothing.

"Why did you bring me here?! I couldn't possibly wear any of this!" Evelyn whispered.

Madge rolled her eyes. "Yes you can. You just need a little confidence."

Evelyn scoffed. "Confidence and a time machine to take me back when to when I was young enough to be caught in something like this," she held up a lacy bustier that had a matching thong on the rack next to it.

"Oh stop it. It'll be fun, you'll see." Madge gave the shop a once over. "There's no one here, really. Everyone's out celebrating the festival, so it's essentially just the two of us. We'll get you something flattering. Something that's sure to get his blood racing," Madge winked and nudged her shoulder.

"I don't know…" Evelyn bit her lip and looked around.

She was grateful there were only a couple of other people in the shop, and even more grateful that they didn't seem to be paying much attention to her. They'd probably wonder what an old bat like her was doing in a place like this. She supposed she could always say she was looking for someone else. A daughter-in-law, perhaps.

Madge saw the look on Evelyn's face and took her hand. "You said you wanted to do something special for him. Something new. Something he wouldn't be expecting, right?"

Evelyn nodded.

"Well I can guarantee he won't be expecting this." Madge put her hand on her friend's shoulder. "Trust me. I won't let you get anything that doesn't look absolutely gorgeous on you."

This was way out of her comfort zone, but she trusted that Madge wouldn't let her pick out anything that looked ridiculous on her. Although, she couldn't help herself thinking that she'd look ridiculous in any of it. Evelyn nodded and took a deep breath as Madge took her hand and led her through the shop, picking up various things off the racks and giving them to Evelyn to hold.

When they finally made their way to the dressing rooms, Madge waited outside while Evelyn got changed and when Evelyn was ready, she'd call her in for the verdict. After swapping some things round and changing a few colors, they walked out with two bags full of shopping and Madge squeezed Evelyn's hand and gave her a smile.

They flagged down a taxi and set off for the hotel. Evelyn sat in the seat next to Madge, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.

"You're sure he'll like these?" Evelyn asked, the worry evident in her voice.

"He'll love them," she grinned.

Evelyn hoped she was right. She looked down at the shopping bags that now sat in her lap. She'd never worn anything like that before, even when she was younger, and she highly doubted she could pull it off now. She took a deep breath, remembering what Madge told her in the shops. Douglas loved her and he loved her looks. He'll love any effort she makes. She stared out the window, watching the blur of the city pass by her eyes, and repeated that to herself, almost like a mantra.

When they arrived at the hotel, Madge helped her upstairs, keeping a hawk eye out for Douglas and saw her to her room. She peered inside first to see if Douglas was still there, and she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that he wasn't. That meant she wouldn't have to explain the shopping bags. She quickly hid them in her closet, not knowing when Douglas would return, and sat on the bed. She kicked her shoes off and let out a sigh before she closed her eyes for a moment to try and calm herself.

Lying down on the bed, she smiled as she replayed the events of the morning. Sneaking out to buy sexy lingerie to please her husband was definitely not on the list of things she thought she'd be doing at this point in her life. Then again, she didn't think she'd get remarried either. She giggled. It was safe to say her retirement hadn't worked out quite as she'd expected.

She smiled as she remembered Muriel's words.

'Sometimes what happens instead is the good stuff.'

Her eyes fluttered open and she slowly sat up, running her fingers through her hair. She exhaled and stood just as Douglas came through the door.

He smiled and she walked over to him as she set a paper cup on the kitchen table.

He pecked her lips and pulled her into an embrace. "How long have you been back?"

"Not long. Ten minutes, give or take."

"Ah. Did everything go well with your friend?" he asked.

She nodded. "We got everything done. It went by faster than I expected actually." She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, glancing down at the cup. "Did you meet Norman at the café?"

He nodded and rested his chin on top of her head. "David was there too. I think he's getting serious about Madge."

Evelyn pulled away a bit to look up at his face. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

Douglas chuckled as he saw his wife's face light up. He knew how badly Evelyn wanted things to work out between Madge and David. Deep down, he did too. He and Evelyn had been so happy since they found each other and he knew Evelyn only wanted the same happiness for her friends. It was part of why he loved her. Her heart was bigger than any of them could imagine.

"Just the way he talked about her. He got this look in his eye." He looked down at his wife, who was now biting her lip and practically bouncing with excitement. He chuckled. "It's only a hunch though. It doesn't mean anything. I don't know just how serious they are, so no interference from you."

She feigned shock. "Me? Interfere? I wouldn't dream of it."

He chuckled and tapped her nose with the tip of his finger. "We both know how you love to play matchmaker. And while I admire your reasons for doing it, I think maybe we should let them sort this one out themselves."

Evelyn sighed and leaned into his embrace again, knowing he was right. "Alright. But I reserve the right to say 'I told you so' if he does propose."

Douglas laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Of course."

"Are we still going for dinner tonight?" Evelyn asked.

"Of course. Unless you don't want to."

"No, no. I do. I was just wondering if you were still up to it."

"Definitely. I thought we could try that little place that Sonny pointed out to us the last time we went into town. I made reservations last week. It seems nice. And I wanted to do something a little different tonight. I think a bit of change might be good."

Evelyn smiled at his words. "I was thinking the same thing."

"Good." He glanced up at the clock. It was only half past twelve. They still had hours to go before their reservation. "Is there anything particular you wanted to do in the meantime?"

"Not really. What about you?"

"I think I've got everything settled. We could see if there's anything good on the telly."

"Alright then." She smiled up at him and kissed him again.

They both made their way over to the bed and stretched out side by side as Douglas flipped through the channels trying to find something interesting. They settled on an upbeat looking film the neither of them could recall having seen before and they lay holding hands, fingers intertwined. Evelyn rested her head on Douglas's shoulder and they giggled at the scenes on the screen as the minutes ticked by.

"I suppose I'll never know if Westley was ever able to save Buttercup. But I suppose I should thank you that you were at least able to wait through Shrek." Evelyn chuckled.

Douglas chuckled as he carefully rolled off of his very satisfied wife. Evelyn pulled the sheets up to cover them and looked over at Douglas with a fond smile.

"I've just finished ravishing my wife, and she wants to know how the movie ended." Douglas shook his head. "Unbelievable."

Evelyn laughed and cuddled up to him. "I'm only teasing. I should think it's only fair after all that teasing you did earlier." She arched an eyebrow and smirked and he laughed.

"That was different and you know it."

"Yes I know." She smiled up at him and kissed him gently. "You were wonderful. As usual."

"As were you," he smiled.

Evelyn looked over his shoulder at the clock and realized they'd managed, quite successfully to pass a bit of time. She had no idea they'd been at it that long. She reached behind her head, where the remote had inadvertently been tossed and switched the television off. They'd long since stopped paying attention to what was playing anyway. She gave him one last kiss before slipping her hand under her pillow to get her nightgown. She sat up and pulled it over her head and chuckled as Douglas made a noise of disappointment.

"We've just gone twice. I would think you'd have had your fill of me."

"Never," he protested. He chanced a glance at the clock. "Though I suppose we should get going anyway. There's no telling what the traffic will be like with the festival going on. We should give ourselves a bit of extra time to get there, don't you think?"

Evelyn nodded in agreement and got up to head for the bathroom. When she stood, Douglas had to bite his lip to stop himself groaning as he watched the silky material slide down over her hips and fall into place. Even then, it clung to her curves and it was all he could do to stop himself taking her again. But he'd 'one to a lot of trouble to plan this dinner. He supposed his testosterone could take a break until after dinner. Although he'd seen the dress she'd told him she was wearing. It was one of his favorites and she knew it. With that information in mind, he wasn't sure he'd make it all the way through the main course without stealing at least three kisses, but he promised himself he would try to behave.

Evelyn padded over to her closet and shuffled some clothing to get to the outfit she wanted. She draped the dress she would wear for the night over her arm and discreetly slid one of her shopping bags underneath to hide it. She turned to walk into the bathroom and was met with Douglas leaning against the doorframe. He'd slipped his boxer shorts back on and she was almost disappointed. She smiled and kissed him and opened the door to go in.

"I don't think that's a good idea," she said, putting a hand to his chest to stop him as he took a step forward. "As much as I'd like to, we really will be late if we do that." She laughed when he made what was now his signature pouting face. "I won't be long."

He smiled and closed the door after her before padding back over to the bed. He didn't see any need to straighten out the sheets as the first part of his surprise would be arriving before long, and it wouldn't make much of a difference anyway. He did tidy up a bit, though, just out of habit. He glanced at the bathroom door and smiled to himself, feeling rather confident about his gifts. So far she'd been happy with his little surprises. She'd told him repeatedly that he didn't have to get her anything, but he loved to spoil her. He loved seeing the look on her face when he surprised her with a little trinket of some sort. He knew he didn't have to buy her affections, and he wasn't trying to. He just wanted to show her how much he loved her. He only hoped she liked the last pieces of his surprise as much as he thought she would.

He padded over to his closet. He'd picked out the shirt she'd labeled as her favorite, which also happened to be the one he was wearing when they'd first met. He idly wondered if that had anything to do with it being her favorite as he slipped it off the rack. He picked out a pair of slate gray slacks and his black semi-casual shoes and decided they would be suitable for the restaurant he'd picked. Now if he could only find that blasted tie…

In the bathroom, Evelyn was finishing up her shower. She got out, dried off and wrapped her towel around herself, eyeing up the shopping bag sitting on the sink. She looked up and, with her hand, wiped the steam from the mirror. She took a good look at herself and smiled. She was still glowing. She hoped it wouldn't be too obvious when they got to the restaurant. Then she decided she didn't care if it was. She was happy to have found love and proud to have Douglas as the one who loved her. She didn't care who knew it.

She bit her lip and looked down into the bag again to see black lace peeking out from beneath the layer of tissue paper the saleswoman had placed on top. She took a deep breath and took out the garments one by one, holding them up to inspect them. She picked the ones that she thought would best be suited to the cut of her dress, which incidentally were the black lace ones on the very top, and shimmied herself into them. She hooked the final clasp before turning to study herself in the mirror. Sure, she wasn't twenty anymore, but she didn't care. Maybe it was their impromptu love making that helped her, but she was finally over her nervousness.

She slipped the dress on over her lace clad body, and stepped into her heels for the evening. Even though it wasn't visible anymore, the lace made her feel sexy, and she suddenly couldn't wait to show Douglas. She would have gone out and flaunted it right then and there, but she'd taken the time to keep it hidden this long. She couldn't bring herself to ruin the surprise this early in the game. She slipped on her jewelry, including a couple of the pieces Douglas had surprised her with earlier in the week and adjusted them to hang just right. The she tucked the rest of the garments back into the bag and hid them in the cabinet under the sink. She ran her fingers through her hair one last time and smiled at her reflection before opening the door and stepping out into the bedroom again.

She came out to find Douglas putting something in the nightstand drawer. He turned when he heard the bathroom door close and the sight that greeted him rendered him speechless for a second or two.

She was wearing a black, off the shoulder dress with a sort of sweetheart neckline that showed off her gorgeous cleavage, but was still tasteful. It flowed around her, yet hugged her curves in all the right places and the red accents in her shoes picked up on the red in her jewelry.

"You look incredible."

Evelyn blushed and smiled at him. "Thank you. So do you."

He stepped closer to her and ran his fingers over the black and red Victorian style necklace he'd surprised her with earlier in the week. There was a teardrop cut ruby that hung from the bottom and the length of the chain made it dangle tantalizingly just above her cleavage, as he suspected it would. She noted the length of the chain when she'd put it on and she had no doubt that particular aspect was why he'd purchased it in the first place.

She smiled at his wandering fingers. "I take it you approve then?"

"Oh yes. Most definitely." He held his arm out to her and she slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow. "Shall we?"

"We shall," she smiled.

She picked up her purse from the table by the door and they left the suite arm in arm. When they reached the lobby they found Muriel and Madge at the bottom of the stairs waiting anxiously for them to put in an appearance. The two women wished them a happy anniversary and hugged them both. Norman was standing nearby with a glass of brandy and he raised it in a cheery toast to the couple as Madge and Muriel complimented Evelyn on her dress. Douglas got a few rounds of compliments himself and Evelyn looked up at him with pride.

Sonny came over to escort them to car he had waiting outside and they gave one last wave to their friends before driving off to the restaurant.

When they arrived, Evelyn noticed that the restaurant was French, something she hadn't caught before. Douglas gave their names to the maître d' and they were escorted to a rather private table near the back. They had a lovely candlelight dinner in a romantic atmosphere and Evelyn could hardly believe how lucky she was to have someone so special in her life. She held his hand over the table and let her thumb gently stroke the back of it. She loved the way her hands fit into his so perfectly.

Douglas was looking at her thinking much of the same. He could sit there for hours, getting lost in her deep blue eyes. They reminded him of the sea and he loved the way they positively lit up when she laughed. He loved the way they fluttered closed when he kissed her. He loved the way they looked him after they made love.

"Douglas," Evelyn nudged his hand.

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

She chuckled. "I was just saying I think we should skip dessert."

"I was thinking the same thing," he smiled.

He waved a waiter over and paid the bill before standing and offering his arm to his beautiful wife. She slipped her hand into the crook of his elbow and floated out of the restaurant, her eyes on him the entire time.

When they arrived at the hotel again, the lobby was, for the most part, empty, with the exception of a few late night stragglers just checking in. She supposed the others had gone to bed and hadn't bothered waiting up for them, which was just as well as she wanted to spend the rest of the evening alone with her husband.

He walked with her up to their suite and unlocked the door, allowing her to step in ahead of him.

She set her purse down by the door and looked up to notice a large red ribbon gracing their closed bedroom door. She raised her eyebrow at Douglas, who only smiled back at her. She walked further into the suite and crossed to the decorated door. Turning the knob, she slowly opened it and gasped at what she found waiting for her.

Douglas had gotten her the antique bed they'd seen while they were out exploring Mumbai. It was nearly twice as large as the old one and the deep mahogany of the bedframe was just as magnificent as she remembered it. The headboard had intricate designs carved in and the four posts at each corner stood tall and proud as they jutted toward the ceiling. She remembered telling him how much she liked the design of it, but she never imagined he'd go back and get it. Her eyes darted to the satin sheets which were covered in deep red rose petals and when she looked to the left of the bed, she saw the antique metal tea trolley he'd brought out on their honeymoon, covered in the same delectable treats, with a couple of new ones added in. There were chocolate covered berries, as well as small, assorted heart-shaped chocolates, and a bucket with champagne on ice. She looked to the next platform on the tray and spied a small container of caviar and oysters on ice as well.

Douglas wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her neck.

"Happy anniversary, love. Do you like it?"

"I love it. I absolutely love it." She turned in his embrace and kissed him deeply. "I'm not sure what I did to deserve you, but whatever it was, I'm very glad I did it." She smiled and caressed his cheek.

He kissed her palm and took her hand, leading her to an empty spot on the floor. He picked up the remote from the nightstand, also new to match the bed, and pressed a button. Soft jazz started playing and he gently pulled him to her.

"Dance with me?" he whispered.

She smiled up at him. "Of course."

She wrapped her arms around his waist and lay her head on his chest. He kissed the top of her head and nuzzled into her hair a bit, making her moan quietly. They swayed together as the music played low in the background.

After the first song ended and the strains of the second one began, she lifted her head to kiss him and he eagerly returned the kiss. He closed his eyes and hugged her close to him as if he never wanted to let her go and she melted into his embrace. She raised her hands and started unbuttoning his shirt. When she finished she slowly pulled it out from his trousers, as it had been tucked in, and slid it off his shoulders, never breaking the kiss. She shivered when he felt his hands go to the zip on the back of her dress and slowly tug the zipper down. She gasped when the felt the silky material flutter to the floor.

His eyes flew open when his roaming hands encountered lace and he stopped his movements. He pulled away from the kiss and took a step back to see just what she was wearing and then it was his turn to gasp.

She wore a basque made of black satin with see through lace panels on either side. Her underwear had clearly come with the set, a sort of boy short in matching black lace, a rectangular panel of black silk strategically covering her sex. His eyes trailed lower to see lace topped thigh high stockings in a sheer black to coordinate with the rest of the ensemble, and of course she was still wearing her heels from dinner.

"Do you- Is it alright?"

He could only stammer a faint, incoherent response before he gave up on words altogether and simply nodded.

For the second time that day she'd rendered him speechless.

She smiled and sauntered over to him. "I'll take that as a yes."

She was so glad he approved of her selection. Though deep down, she knew he would.

She ran a hand up his chest and back down his arm. "See? You're not the only one with surprises," she smirked.

He swallowed the lump in his throat and moved his hands to her sides. "I- I see that."

She giggled and he groaned and tightened his grip on her waist. She knew he was at the very edge of control and she was proud of herself for having gotten him there yet again. She ran a finger down his front and teasingly played with the waistband of his trousers, making him shiver.

"I have a small confession to make," she started. "I did go out to see a friend this morning, but the 'little project' I told you about was my own. I wanted to do something special to surprise you so I got Madge to take me shopping." She kissed his chest softly. "I would ask if you approve of my purchase but…" she ran her hand further down to cup his rapidly hardening manhood and smiled. "It would seem I already have the answer to that question."

Douglas growled and shook his head. "You have no idea what you do to me."

She gave a small squeeze and he growled again. "I think I have a good idea."

She giggled and he practically tossed her on the bed. She squealed as he assaulted her neck with kisses. She was sure some of them would leave marks in the morning, but he was her husband and it was their anniversary and anyone who had something smart to say about it could sod off. She was in love.

Douglas's hands wandered to the clasps that held her basque together, conveniently placed in front, and began to undo them as fast as he could. She smiled at his eagerness and once he'd finally removed the garment, she undid his belt with the same fervor. She just barely managed to remember to take her jewelry off so it wouldn't break, and when she got round to getting his trousers off him, he pounced on her again, unable to keep his hands off her newly freed breasts. He kissed his way down to chest and took a berried peak in his mouth, swirling his tongue around it and making her moan loudly. He nipped it with his teeth and she gasped and whimpered, holding his head tighter to her and arching into his touch. She sucked and swirled his tongue in all the ways he could think of before kissing his way over to the opposite side to pay the same attention to the other breast.

After he was done paying her ample bosom the attention it was due, he began to kiss his way lower, but to his surprise, she stopped him. She smirked and rolled him onto his back.

She caught his lips in a searing kiss before gently pulling away. She made sure her fingers grazed his hardness again, before nudging him to lift his hips. He allowed her pull his boxers down, though he wasn't quite sure what she had up her sleeve. She smiled as she tugged the last of his clothing off, allowing his erection to rest against his stomach.

Douglas watched as Evelyn licked her lips and his eyes got wide as he realized what she was about to do.

"You don't have to," he said softly. He didn't want her to feel as though she had to do that just because he'd done it for her in the past. He didn't want her to do anything she was uncomfortable with.

Evelyn knew he really wanted it and she knew exactly why he was protesting. She took his hard length in her hand and gave him a small squeeze before looking him right in his eyes.

"I want to," she whispered.

She settled between his legs and bent down, smiling as she heard his breath hitch. She slowly and carefully swirled her tongue around the tip before she swallowed him in her mouth. His eyes grew wide when he realized that she was taking almost his whole length in her mouth. He watched carefully as she made several passes with her tongue tracing the full length of his shaft. Cupping her hand she began massaging his sacs at the same time she slipped her mouth back around him, causing him to buck a little as he threw his head back. Luckily the pillows were there, or else he would have slammed into the headboard and that certainly would have put damper on things. Douglas could feel Evelyn staring up at him and when their eyes locked she began sucking harder and faster. He mustered all the strength he could and panted a warning.

"Evvie… I… I can't- oh god!" his fists were gripping the duvet for dear life and his knuckles were white with the exertion.

She let him slip from her lips just long enough to respond. "It's alright. I want you to."

She took him in her mouth again, locking eyes with him and gave a hard draw, moving her tongue back and forth as she sucked. He came with a shout and she gasped and moaned when she felt him explode in her mouth. She swallowed all of his essence and didn't stop licking until she felt a gentle tug on her shoulders. She looked up at him with glistening lips and he pulled her back up to eye level. He kissed her passionately, only pulling away from her when the need for air became too great.

He panted and rested his forehead against hers. "Thank you," he whispered.

She smiled and kissed him again. "You're very welcome."

He rolled her onto her back and kissed down her body just as he'd started to do earlier.

"Allow me to return the favor." He gently pushed her thighs apart and nuzzled her through the lace.

She gasped and whimpered as she felt him rubbing her through the fabric. He moaned when he felt a slight wetness there. He had no idea she had gotten so excited doing that for him. He slowly peeled away the scrap of lace that constituted her knickers and feasted his eyes on the delicacy laid before him. He bent down and kissed her sex with just as much love and passion as he did her lips. She moaned and arched beneath him, rolling her hips in time with the movements of his tongue. She squirmed and grabbed the duvet in an effort not to grab his hair, crushing rose petals between her fingers as her head thrashed from side to side. Her cries of pleasure got increasingly louder as she neared her orgasm and her trembling thighs on either side of Douglas's head let him know that she was mere moments away.

"Oh GOD!" Evelyn screamed when she felt him slide two fingers into her and curl them to hit her g-spot. She shook and convulsed as her orgasm racked her body, sending wave after wave of bliss crashing over her. He licked one last time and tenderly kissed his way back up her body. She pulled him to her lips and kissed him, gasping when she felt his erection nudge her entrance. She looked down almost in disbelief. She couldn't believe he was ready again… and so quickly.

She shifted her thighs a bit wider, giving him room to settle in the space between before wrapping a leg around him. They both groaned as he slid into her and began thrusting. Neither one of them would last very long, and they both knew it. They were too on edge. He buried her face in her shoulder and thrust faster and harder and her nails dug into his shoulders as they both neared climax. Their cries filled the room, intermingled with the sound of slapping flesh and whispers of each other's names.

Evelyn, still sensitive from her orgasm just moments before, broke first, screaming her pleasure as another orgasm overtook her. The squeeze of her inner muscles was his undoing and he followed seconds after with a grunt of her name. He collapsed onto her and she held him to her, silently asking him to stay there for a while. He kissed her shoulder and let himself relax for the moment, not that he had the energy to move anyway. Evelyn moaned and let out a contented sigh as her hands moved in soothing patterns up and down his back.

Once Douglas had regained his breath, he carefully rolled off of her and they adjusted so that they could pull the sheets across their bodies. The silk was surprisingly still fairly cool in contrast to their heated flesh. Douglas remembered the tray of treats next to the bed and reached over to pour two flutes of champagne, thinking they could both use a cool drink. He handed Evelyn one and he took the other in hand, softly clinking their glasses together in a toast to their very first year. They sat snacking and sampling the various foods on the trolley for a while and just enjoying each other's company.

"So… Madge took you to a lingerie store?"

Evelyn sat up. "How did you know I was with Madge?"

"Alright, I suppose it's my turn for a confession. I asked her to take you out for a bit so they could deliver the bed without you seeing."

"So you knew the whole time?" she pouted.

He kissed her forehead. "No. Well I knew she was taking you out, I just didn't know where she was taking you. If I'd had any idea she was taking you out to buy that…" he nodded toward the discarded lingerie which now lay strewn across the floor. "I might have come along."

She giggled and smacked his arm before resting her head on his shoulder. "So it was a good surprise then? You liked it?"

"Oh yes. Very much," he smiled. "I thoroughly enjoyed it all. I had no idea you were so talented at… that." He blushed a little at the memory.

"Am I really?" she giggled. "I'm glad. I was worried I'd be dreadful."

"Have you never…?"

She shook her head. "But I've always wondered what it would be like. And I wanted to do it for you." She looked up at him. "Was I really okay?"

He smiled and kissed her lips. "You were perfect."

She returned his smile and pecked his lips before letting her head rest on his shoulder again.

"Good. I'm glad." She paused for a moment. "Hang on… how did they get into our suite?"

Douglas chuckled. "Do you remember how Madge was waiting for us in the lobby? With Muriel and Norman, of course."

"Yes…"

"Well they were waiting there for a reason. Muriel was the one helped me get in touch with the delivery service in the first place. She also suggested that taking you to dinner would be both romantic and convenient for what I was planning. She knew I didn't want you seeing it too soon, so she waited for us to leave and then she went round to give them the all clear. I slipped Madge the room key when she hugged me so she could get into the suite and let them in with the bed. Sonny ordered the car to pull round to the front of the building, and you wouldn't have noticed but the delivery truck pulled in right as we drove away. Norman helped them get everything settled and put together once they hauled it all upstairs."

"Is that why you were stalling at the restauarant?" she asked with a smile.

He laughed. "Partially. The other half was that I couldn't get over how incredible you looked in that dress."

She smiled and leaned her head on his shoulder again.

"Did you like the restaurant, by the way? Was the food alright?"

"Oh yes. I loved it all. The food, the candles… very romantic."

He smirked. "Well since that was so romantic, I suppose there's no need for me to give you this then."

He put his champagne down and reached under her pillow and pulled out a thin, envelope. She quickly set her glass down on the nightstand on her side and moved back over to him, reaching for it and he chuckled and held it up in the air, just out of her reach. She gasped and pulled one of the pillows from behind her head, hitting him with it.

He gasped and feigned shock. "Well, I was going to let you have it, but now you'll have to pay."

She raised an eyebrow. "And just what, may I ask, is the price?"

"A kiss," he said simply.

She sat up, leaned over and kissed him and when she pulled away he looked up at the ceiling for a moment, as if he was considering something quite seriously.

"I think we can do a bit better than that." He smirked and she returned his smile, leaning down to kiss him again. This time, she kissed him deeply, eliciting a gravelly groan from the back of his throat. He thought his price had been sufficiently paid, but she kept kissing him, tongue swirling in his mouth, hands roaming over his body. She hooked a leg over his waist and allowed her thigh to "accidentally" brush against his hardening manhood, making him groan even louder.

Suddenly, she pulled away and quickly rolled back to her side of the bed.

"Thank you very much." She smirked, waving the envelope in front of him.

He'd gotten so distracted, he hadn't noticed that his arm came down midway through the kiss. He certainly hadn't felt her slip the envelope out of his hand.

He glared at her and she giggled. "You cheated." He tried to pout but he couldn't help laughing.

"All's fair in love and war," she said in a singsong voice. She opened the package and gasped.

"I thought it was time we had some time to ourselves. Just the two of us."

"It's a good thing I liked the restaurant then, isn't it?" she smiled as she held up two plane tickets to Paris.

"So… what do you think? Shall we go?"

She smiled and kissed him deeply. "Yes. A thousand times, yes. Thank you, darling."

She looked down at the tickets again and frowned in confusion.

"Are these dates right? These are for tomorrow afternoon."

She looked back up at him and he smiled. "I suppose we should make the most of tonight, then, shouldn't we?"

She grinned and set the tickets aside and rolled over to kiss him again.

He smiled and held her tight in his arms. "Happy anniversary, my love."


End file.
